Lindsay Lohan hit NYC this week as she tries to figure out whether to take a plea deal in her jewelry-theft case or fight the charges at trial. And now we know why she left California. She wants to visit her grandma!
Lindsay, 24, doesn’t know when she will have the next chance to see Nana Sullivan, 87, so she is making sure she stops in on her before her next court date, March 25 –which could be the day she heads off to jail.

“She has a grandma that’s very old — and she doesn’t know what’s going to happen with court — so she wants to see her,” the source tells HollywoodLife.com.

Whether Lindsay goes straight to jail or decides to battle it out at trial and fight the necklace-theft accusation, “either way it’s unclear when the next trip home will be.”

In LA, her circle of friends has dwindled as her troubles have grown — and her career has been sidetracked.

“Who was she out with for the Oscars?” the insider says. “She went with her brother!”

So back in NY, she’s making time to see family and friends — stepping out in her DL1961.com skinny jeans and black cowboy boots and hanging with high-school pals.

– Reporting by Jessica Finn

Lindsay Lohan needs to stand trial before a jury! The 24-year-old actress went to court today and was told that she could either appear in front of Judge Keith Schwartz on March 25 or prepare to go to trial in April. HollywoodLife.com spoke to three top defense attorneys who say Lindsay should not take the plea deal. 

Instead of serving six months in jail, Lindsay should fight her felony grand-theft charge for allegedly stealing a $2,500 necklace from a Venice, Cailf., jewelry store. LiLo has a very good case and shouldn’t just accept a jail sentence without mounting a legal challenge, these lawyers say.

“I know Lindsay is adamant that she didn’t steal the necklace and was told she could perhaps keep it as a gift,” says Lisa Bloom of  Thebloomfirm.com. ”The surveillance tapes that were leaked help her. It doesn’t make sense she would steal a necklace. I think the defense and evidence is pretty strong. She should not take a plea. If she goes to trial she stands a good chance of winning.”

Raoul Felder, a former NYC prosecutor, agrees: ”There would probably be very little jail time if she were convicted.Celebrities do very well in front of juries. She is not a professional criminal…So the fact that the surveillance tapes were leaked and sold, it will help her because the argument is she is a victim and they exploited her to make money and humiliate her. And that’s a pretty powerful argument.”

“She shouldn’t take any deal that involves jail,” says defense attorney Mark Geragos, most famous for representing Michael Jackson. “This case is totally defensible.”

But one legal expert, attorney Susan Filan, doesn’t think Lindsay should decide to stand trial.

“You advise on what you think your chances of winning are — and hers are terrible” she says. “The fact that they sold the video doesn’t mean she didn’t steal the necklace. They have video of her taking it, so the odds she’d get ‘not guilty’ are slim.”

What do you think Lindsay should so? Take automatic jail time, or takes her chances at a trial?

Check Out What Lindsay Lohan Wore To Court This Time! Click Here To Read More!

Read More About Lindsay Lohan’s Trial And What Judge Says To Her!

— Chloe Melas with additional reporting by Lorena O’Neil

All those who think they’re done having kids, stand up. Oops! Sit back down, Johnny Depp! The superstar actor, 47, who already has two children — Lily Rose is 11 and Jack is 8 — with longtime girlfriend Vanessa Paradis, 38, found himself feeling “broody” while in Venice shooting his new thriller, The Tourist. The reason? Seeing co-star Angelina Jolie and her partner Brad Pitt and the way they handled their six kids, Maddox, 9, Pax, 7, Zahara, 5, Shiloh, 4, and two-year-old twins, Knox and Vivienne. We have to admit that when we see Brad holding his twins, we feel the same way!

Read HollyBaby’s interview with Johnny in which he declares, “My kids made my life.”

“Well, when you see Brad with a little baby, you get a little broody, clucky,” he told the British TV show Daybreak, before adding that he he thinks he’ll hold off for a while on having another child. “It’s amazing the way they handle it [having six kids]. I mean, they’re both really good parents, you know each one [child] is doing their own thing and having a ball. Brad took them all out to do various things in Venice while we were shooting. It was pretty amazing to see.”

–Roger Singer

Get more HollyBaby news and gossip! Friend us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter and Subscribe to our Newsletter!

Prague, Budapest, Venice, even Long Island, NY! The Jolie-Pitt children have been to more places than I have, and it’s all thanks to their movie star parents, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Angelina’s new movie with Johnny Depp, The Tourist, comes out on Dec. 10 and the Academy Award-winning actress admits that she signed on to do the film before she even knew the storyline! And it was all for her kids!

Shiloh is more like her mommy than we thought!

After filming the action-packed Salt, Angelina, 35, was exhausted and looking forward to getting away with Brad and their six children — Maddox, 9, Pax, 6 ½, Zahara, 5, Shiloh, 4, and 2-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. “I wanted to do something that would be a great vacation for my kids,” she says in Entertainment Weekly. “I got a phone call saying, ‘OK, the film’s shooting in Venice,’ and I said, ‘I don’t know what it is, but I’m going to say yes.’”

Brad loves being a stay-at-home dad while Angie directs her new film!

Being the thrill-seeking actress she is, all Angie needed to hear was “Venice” and “two gorgeous strangers in deep trouble” and she was in! She hadn’t even met Johnny yet, but considering she watched him play the Mad Hatter in Alice In Wonderland over and over again with her six children, she knew he’d be a wonderful co-star. If the kids like the location and the leading man, Angelina signs on!

Hollymoms, do you think it’s crazy for the Jolie-Pitts to move to a new home every time a good movie calls? Shouldn’t the kids be allowed to settle into a home base rather than live like nomads?

–Leigh Blickley

Get more HollyBaby news and gossip! Friend us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter and Subscribe to our Newsletter!

Getty Images

Rebecca channeled her inner Aphrodite in a bright turquoise Vionnet Resort gown in Venice. Is this dress an overflowing beauty or an over-fugly bomb?

Rebecca Hall was attending the Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 8th with The Town co-stars Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, and John Hamm. The men looked dapper and handsome in their tuxes, but Rebecca might have missed her dress fitting as the voluminous material almost enveloped her statuesque figure. Clearly this frock from the resort’s 2011 collection worked better as she was walking vs. standing & posing.

Also, can you check out that flawless makeup look? Celebrity makeup artist Stephen Sollitto worked with the gorgeous actress to create the look, especially that siren red lip, which was a mixture of the new NARS Pure Matte Lipsticks in Vesuvio and Terre de Feu. They’re available now at your local NARS counter.

What do you think, fashionistas? Did this aqua number do it for you? Tell us now!

— Princess Agra

iStock

I admit it — I’ve escaped for 10 days to Italy and I highly recommend it. Here’s why!

There’s maybe one bonus to the still-slow world economy: The high priced Euro — which made it impossible for all but the richest among us (and Lindsay Lohan) to visit France, Spain, Italy, etc. for years — has finally dropped into an affordable range. Hotels, restaurants and shopping are all reasonable!

Here are four major reasons why YOU should get yourself to Italy ASAP:

• You need a brain break. And you can really get one if you don’t just escape from the office, but also from the world of wi-fi. I didn’t actually mean to do it. I had every intention of staying connected to HollywoodLife.com UNTIL I discovered that the specially purchased, supposedly “Italy-friendly” SIM card for my iPhone that I pre-purchased in NYC didn’t work. Then, the wi-fi promised at all our small, family-friendly pre-booked hotels was totally sketchy. I tried to buy a local Voda-phone but the phones were ALL sold out in Venice, and the stores closed incessantly for siestas in Florence. When we did find one open, the salesgirls were so gum-chewingly rude, they practically refused to sell us a phone. When we insisted, they demanded a passport before we could make a purchase. Do you carry your passport everywhere? Neither do I. No phone. The result — I’m forced to be on a techno brain break… except for this one dispatch to you guys!

• Here’s what your brain break does: You sleep more, you read more, you walk more. That means — you look better, you can eat more (which is a BONUS  because the food is so good in Italy) and your mind wanders more. And mind-wandering means fresh ideas for when you do get back to the office… next week.

• Here’s why to go to Venice: It’s quiet. No cars! The only way to get around is to walk or take the water buses. Buy a water bus day ticket and cruise your way around the entire place. Best views on the planet! Then, eat at Restaurant Riviera overlooking the water at night. Have the branzino ravioli with artichoke sauce. Yum!

• Definitely do Florence: Find your most comfortable sandals or shoes. Get ready to walk, walk and then walk some more. Walk up to Piazzelle Michelangelo and then to Chiesa di San Miniato al Monte (it’s a church), and watch the sun set over the city. Avoid the Uffizi Gallery, where you’ll be herded in lineups like cattle. You can stay at charming, affordable Hotel Loggiato de Serviti, where Chiari can recommend totally yummy restaurants. And after Aug. 25, make sure you eat at Gilda Bistrot — the best, homemade family restaurant. Gilda’s on her own vacation until Aug. 25, so see what doable air-fare you can find and give yourself permission to ESCAPE before Labor Day for that genuine time out that you’ve earned and deserve!

Let me know how it goes. Ciao!

— Bonnie Fuller

Doesn’t this sexy shot of Angie make you even more curious about her new thriller?

We’ve seen Angelina Jolie, 34, out and about in Venice, Italy, filming her latest action-thriller, The Tourist, with Johnny Depp, 46 — but we’ve never seen her like this! In a gorgeous black gown, Angie totally looks the part of mysterious Interpol agent Elise. Tell us, BFFs — are you as excited to see Angie and Johnny in The Tourist as we are?

Read More on Angie:

1. BIG NEWS, BFFS!  Is K-Stew Going to Replace Angelina Jolie in ‘Wanted’?
2. Finally A Wedding for Brad and Angelina? New Report Says the Kids Want Mom and Dad Hitched!
3. Bonnie Says: Hey Angelina, Don’t You Think You’re Being Crazy Irresponsible Doing Your Dangerous Stunts When You’re A Mom of Six?

1. Brangelina: Why Are You Dressing Vivienne Like A Boy Too?  Plus Shiloh Gets A New Haircut!
2. Angelina Jolie is Dying to Work With Brad Pitt Again!  ‘He’s My Favorite Actor’ She Gushes!

1. Watch Out, Angelina! A Lot Of People Want To See Jen & Brad Back Together!

There are still 65 days until the season premiere of True Blood on HBO (I know, I know… “waiting sucks”) but thankfully the show’s three leading men are gracing the pages of Details‘ May 2010 issue in a super hot photo spread! Stephen Moyer (vampire Bill), Alexander Skarsgard (vampire Eric) and Ryan Kwanten (dim-witted human Jason) all spill their guts to the magazine in individual interviews. So check out the photos, read what they have to say and then tell us which one gets your blood boiling!

Stephen Moyer

Not only is London-born Stephen a total potty mouth (he drops a heaping helping of F-bombs in his interview), but he also (surprisingly) says he’ll only live in places named Venice. He spent seven years in London’s Little Venice, and now currently resides with co-star and girlfriend Anna Paquin in Venice, Calif. “I’m a Venice-zuelan,” he tells Details. Hmm… did you also know Stephen is a comedian? As the super-serious vampire Bill Compton, we really don’t get to see enough of his lighter side!

Alexander Skarsgard

Can you believe 6’4 Alexander almost quit acting altogether? Actually, he did quit after college, but only for a little over a year. He joined the Swedish marines for 15 months… and hated it! “You couldn’t talk or move,” he tells Details. “You had to p**s in a bottle. It gave me a lot of time to think about things. I realized I missed being onstage and on a set.” And Alexander, we’re glad you missed it! True Blood wouldn’t be the same without you playing the 1,000-year-old Nordic vamp Eric Northman.

Ryan Kwanten

Ryan doesn’t mind playing dumb. As the older brother of True Blood‘s leading lady Sookie Stackhouse, his character spews most of the show’s most brainless dialogue. So what’s the one thing Aussie surfer Ryan does mind? Talking about how much he takes his shirt off on camera! “We have amazing computer-generated effects,” he jokes to Details. “It’s my head on someone else’s body.” Sure, Ryan… whatever you say.

OK, BFFs — it’s voting time!